The US election has been marred by a series of controversies and its exceptionally negative tone.
From revelations about Hillary Clinton's emails to allegations of sexual assault by Donald Trump, the 2016 presidential race will be remembered as one of the most bitter contests in US history.
And there's a fear that the squalid nature of the election could put off some Americans from voting.
Harry Horton reports.
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America prides itself on having the greatest democracy in the world.
But there's no doubt this election has left a sour taste for most observers.
The scandals and controversies have even eclipsed the plots of some political fiction.
Robert Lerman was Vice-President Al-Gore's speechwriter and now teaches politics at American University in Washington DC.
His assessment of this election is clear:
"Oh, the tone is horrible. I have been doing political stuff for 40 years. I have never seen anything like this."
Donald Trump dominated early election coverage by insulting and belittling his Republican rivals.
But Hillary Clinton's team have been criticised for the way they handled questions about her use of a private email server when she was Secretary of State.
"She is vulnerable on those issues. But I don't think Americans weigh those the things the same as the things Trump has said. Praising Putin, criticising the parents of a gold star veteran, imitating someone with disabilities."
"If you've seen that tape, it's not like he did it for a second."
"It was just so cruel. Really, I've seen a lot of things but I was just staggered by that."
There's a real concern that the bitter and divisive rhetoric, the controversies and the negativity in this election will turn off young people from voting - not just this year, but perhaps in the future as well.
Polling by Reuters and Ipsos showed that Americans aged 18 to 34 were slightly less likely to vote for president this year than their comparably aged peers were in 2012.
We asked some young voters in Washington DC what they made of the tone of this election.
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After an election that's provided few highs and far too many lows, many Americans can't wait to put the whole process behind them.
The soul searching for a bitterly divided country has only just begun.
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